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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — in sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — of the year
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — in a road
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com